Recipe for a Cold
by aika-chan02
Summary: Ryan caught a cold as he is in for a surprise. Lire is coming to visit him and nurse him in his sister's stead. But that's the least of his concern.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Grand Chase and the characters. I only own the plot and it is published by a fan for the fans.

* * *

 _Groan. Toss. Turn._

The light pounding sounds filled the room as a young woman poured a ceramic cup of organic tea which she had extracted from green tea leaves. A mortar sat on a bedside table with ground leaves mixed with dew drops from whatever fruit or tree she extracted them.

"I'm fine with the tea." A boy complained, tossing and turning in his bed as he buried himself under the covers.

"You have a gash on your arm, Ryan." The young woman said sharply as she reached for his arm, yanking it out as it revealed a large circle of wound that scraped the tissue of his skin. It oozed a faded scarlet color which confirmed that it had been washed thoroughly and rinsed. She heaved a sigh.

"What did I tell you about fighting monsters on a bad weather?"

A grumble vibrated from inside the covers. "It was messing around!" He referred to a mutated mushroom that appeared from the swamps that bullied his raccoon friends and the Elves. He chased it away from the Elven Forest, with a series of swearing, poison spores, surprise attacks and mach blows, in spite of the heavy downpour. He roared in pain just as Lian dabbed his wound with two to three drops of antiseptic in cotton. Next, she applied the leaf and dew mixture, using its extracts as betadine. She grabbed a roll of bandage and wrapped it around the infected area, tying the two ends into a ribbon.

"I'll drop by the supermarket and the pharmacy," Lian stood up as she took her handbag and headed to the door. "Get yourself enough rest, Ryan. I'll be back in a few hours." She stepped out and yanked the door behind her.

Ryan pulled the covers down a bit, showing half of his face. "Great, leaving me alone like this."

The tea's aroma directed him to gulp it down. The cool wind dropped its temperature quickly, leaving him no qualms to sip and finish it. He threw his head back to the pillow and lied down sideways.

The door creaked open.

"By the way, Ryan," Lian said. "She's gonna look after you while I'm not around."

"Huh..?" he looked with the corner of his eyes.

"I'll let her in, alright?" His sister flashed a warm smile, a clear distinction of her motherly figure. She nodded. "Come on in, Lire."

Ryan suddenly sat upright on his bed, feeling the tea he drank rise up to his throat like bile.

"Ryan!" Lian cried. "What happened?"

"I'm fine…" He cupped his hand over his mouth to cover his coughs. The tea submerged, much to his relief.

 _Lire…_ the name filled his head like a bittersweet melody. He looked up to see a girl with beautiful long and golden locks. Her hair is pulled up into a thick braided ponytail with her straight even bangs covering her forehead. She looked at him with those pair of bright green eyes. As for her outfit, she wore a white shirt underneath a pair of black suspenders. They kept her blue thigh-length short pants from wobbling. She put on a pair of white socks and tennis shoes.

"Feel yourself at home, Lire," Lian said as she held the doorknob from the outside. "The medicine is in the cupboard and there's enough food in the fridge. Keep the house locked while I'm gone."

"Right." Lire replied with a nod.

"And Lire," the woman leaned towards the archer's ear. "Are you sure you can manage by yourself?"

"Yes, I can." The girl responded. "Ronan had given me recipes."

"I see. Please make sure that Ryan gets enough rest while you're at it." Lian said as she left. The archer gently closed the door and turned towards the bed where Ryan buried himself into. He had turned himself into a giant cocoon under the covers.

"Umm… I brought you something." Lire carried a containing milk boxes, yogurt, a tube of potato chips, pouches of instant ramen and sweets. She bought them from a nearby convenience store despite that she knew how unhealthful they were to offer to a sick person. She endured Elesis's endless ranting saying that it wasn't much of a big deal. For Elves like her and Ryan, they don't seem to get used around human snacks and standards.

"I was going to give you fruits and veggies but…" she sighed. "The mushrooms and the toads destroyed them so I have to wait for a few weeks."

"How did you know where I live?" Ryan asked, still underneath the covers. She can hear his sniffles and coughs. Lire grabbed the blanket and yanked it off.

"Some Druids gave me directions. And my brother is acquainted to Lian."

" _You_ went to a convenience store?" the vanquisher reacted when he saw the goodies she brought. It was very unlikely for her. Given her reason, he took the chocolate milk box and the tube of potato chips with a picture of a man with a brown mustache.

"Cinnamon flavor?" he narrowed his eyebrows at the tube.

"Elesis said that Limited Edition products are short-lived on shelf." Lire explained. "I'm not quite to their standards."

"Did Lothos give any quests so far?"

The female Elf shook her head.

The Chase planned a two-month retirement prior to their quest to face against Dark Anmon, who was once a Nephilim that succumbed to corruption. Elesis, being the leader of the group alongside Ronan, bombarded Lothos with papers and tantrum before Ronan took care of it proper. The members left the castle and went back to their hometowns after they've been gained victorious.

"You must be hungry now." Lire sat on the stool and picked up a plastic bag that she brought along with the snacks. "I don't want to give you the meals made in convenience stores. I got a word from Ronan that they're preserved and reheated after they expire. So…"

"So?" Ryan sipped the contents of the chocolate milk box until the box is empty.

She looked at him and beamed.

"I'll cook for you."

The world around him turned dark. In spite of the girl in front of him shedding light to the atmosphere, his soul doesn't seem to grasp on it. He appreciated her hospitality and she showed him by taking the time to pay him a visit and check on him.

But then, he felt uneasiness and tension rising.

"What did you say?" he choked out the words, staring at her intently like a trembling cat.

"Hmm?" Lire blinked at him. "I'll make you a nice meal."

His lips tightened into a thin line as he saw her fishing out a small bottle from one of the brown paper bags she brought, his gaze kept frozen.

"Look, I got this one from the castle before we left!" she flashed the bottle with a green plastic lid at him, showing the "CURRY POWDER" label. Inside the bag were bottles of other spices that she got from who-knows-where. "I sneaked into Ladmir's room for cookbooks and I found some recipes!"

"I thought Ronan gave them – "

"Oh, did I say that?" Lire blinked in confusion, adding to the tension rising up on Ryan.

His mind released a train of swears.

Lire stood up and took the bag of spices with her. "May I use the kitchen, Ryan?"

 _NO._ "Do you know how to make it, then?" _Nononononono._

"I know the recipe by heart."

 _You've gotta be kidding me._ "You should have brought the cookbook!"

Lire shook her finger. "No worries. I stayed up all night memorizing the ingredients and the recipe. My picto-graphic memory worked well."

 _Friggin –_ he broke into a mental breakdown when Lire exited his room, heading straight to the kitchen.

 _Go after her!_ His id ranted on his right shoulder.

 _Please. Give her a chance._ His superego said.

 _Fool! Do you want her to blow up the kitchen and dump the food into the trash?!_

 _People make mistakes, Ryan. Everybody deserves a second chance._

Ryan shook his levels of consciousness away. Right now, he has to get in there and stop her. Unfortunately, he has to stay in bed.

He had nothing against Lire coming over and looking after him. So does her bringing him snacks. In fact, he owes her a lot. She's the person who would stay behind to nurse him back to health during their violent encounters in their quests, to look after him while he's sleeping and –

"I get it!" he cried, shooing his thoughts away as he heaved a sigh.

Lire isn't accustomed to cooking and household chores.

And she's in their kitchen.

Cooking.

* * *

"This should do it~" Lire took a sauce pan and placed it over the stove's igniter. The forest and island Elves have quickly adapted to the use of household appliances thanks to the humans who resided in their habitat. It made things easier for them and faster.

"You turn it on like this, right?" she twisted the dial as a circular flame ignited.

" _Always go with a low fire."_ She remembered Ronan giving lectures about the usage. _"And be careful in using the gas tank. Once you're done, turn the stove off and twist the gas tank shut."_

"Right," She placed the bottle of spices on the counter and placed her fingers on her temples. "First step….ah!" she snapped her fingers. "Put oil! Wait… how does he call that? Mmmm – ah, sauté!"

She grabbed a wooden spatula and pulled on an apron.

"Alright~ Let's get started!" She raised the spatula in the air. "Okay, garlic and onions, that's it! Ronan said they're the first ingredients to toss in. They give off that great aroma~" As she turned to the counter, it took her time before the realization.

There were no ingredients prepared.

* * *

He lied down facing the ceiling as his eyes haven't blinked for more than ten seconds. He couldn't move on his bed nor touch the snacks laid on the floor. With his sensitive auditory nerves, he can hear the sizzling sounds and the kitchen equipment clattering over there.

And that is not a good sign.

 _Ahhh, the ol' times,_ his id popped in his thoughts again. _The only decent dish we ate was the egg drop soup and grilled steak combo. How's she gonna pull that curry recipe?_

 _If she's not familiar with cooking concepts, this is her chance to understand them. Don't you have a little trust?_ His superego retorted.

 _I wish I could if someone would keep watch! Oi, send your little raccoon!_ The id version of him smacked his face. Ryan swatted them off of him, annoyed.

"Leave me alone!" _I get it. She'll blow it off…_

The id whistled at the orange raccoon wearing a green striped shirt as its orange striped tail shivered from the cold gust of the wind. _Hey, Rocco! Do us a favor, will you?_

Rocco responded quickly and hopped down the desk. He jumped above Ryan's head and leaned his body over the Elf's face.

"Check on Lire for me, buddy…" he murmured. "She's in the kitchen."

The raccoon nodded and leaped out of the bed. Ryan crawled on his bed to reach for the door before opening it. His pet scampered through the gap and sprinted.

"Ugh…" he complained after sneezing. He wrapped his arms around himself.

"Time to take a shower." He hopped out of bed and headed to the bathroom that is sandwiched between his room and Lian's. He pulled his shirt up to his head and took off his knee-length shorts, tossing them into the laundry basket.

He turned on the shower and adjusted the dial on its heater. The warm streams of water landed on his red hair; he felt a pang of relief and relaxation.

In spite of his constant mental breakdown, he still cared for that girl. The Chase knew that she had blown the kitchen several times and Ronan has to take care of the mess she made every single time. Elesis, Amy and Mari performed the same disaster but not as frequent as Lire did.

But right now, he has to count on Rocco – pronto.

* * *

"Ow!" Lire felt the sting on her finger while peeling the potatoes using a knife. A scarlet dot grew on her index finger until another one blew up. She popped her finger into her mouth to suck the blood clean. She sliced the potatoes into cubes before tossing them into a small bowl.

She squeezed her eyes shut and forced them open, slicing the red onions. It never failed to make her eyes water every time she's at it.

"It's sauté… that's it." She smiled, familiarizing her mind with the concepts and the recipe. She fished a paper out of her pocket where the recipe is written in Ronan's handwriting. "Sliced chicken, garlic, ginger and the spices, huh? I've always wanted to make curry." She watched tons of cooking shows, stemming her interest towards curry. When she went to a local library, she found out that there are many kinds of curry. She then aimed for the Indian curry which is the easiest among them.

After consuming several minutes of filleting chicken as how Ronan taught her, she got the ingredients prepared. She turned the stove back on and poured some cooking oil on the frying pan. As soon as it is heated, she tossed in the spices with their correct measurements as specified in the recipe and then the garlic, onions and ginger. The mouth-watering aroma emanated from the spices as they mixed with the top three natural spices.

"Ow!" she winced as the tiny droplets of the oil jumped out of the pan and stung her skin. "Is this part of the cooking procedure?" she asked out of the blue but in the back of her mind, she knew that it was a nonsensical question.

She then tossed in the chicken meat that took me a while to slice them into bite-sized chunks. Lire took a deep breath.

" _Don't cook the meat for too long. It will shrink especially when you do it with pork. When you cook marinated steak, it should be turned immediately."_ Ronan's voice echoed in her head as she recalled them as his tips in cooking. _"Always poke the meat to check if it's tender."_

 _Right._ She stir-fried the chicken, mixing it along with the sauté and coating it with the spices while she's at it.

 _I can do this._ Her lips tightened into a thin line. _I can do this._

 _I won't mess this up. I can do this!_

"Huh?" She glanced at her side to see an orange raccoon standing beside her leg, looking up at her with its huge brown eyes.

"Hello, Rocco~" she smiled. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be looking after your owner?"

"H-Hey!" she complained as Rocco climbed all the way up until he is nesting on her shoulder. He gave her a slight discomfort as she regained her balance.

"You're gonna watch me cook?"

Rocco nodded.

"That's great. It's almost done. We just have to wait for the meat to cook before serving."

* * *

He sneezed again as he patted his hair dry. He wrapped his towel around his waist and stepped out of the bathroom. He pulled his shirt on his head and the sleeves on his arms along with the pair of shorts. He sat on his bed and took another milk box from the bag.

"This is how the humans quench their thirst, huh?" he sipped on the milk. "They don't mind eating processed food as long as it fills their tummies."

His conversations with the Chase echoed in his thoughts. During their quests, they would stop by the supermarkets and convenience stores for their basic needs. He, along with the demons – Zero, Ley and Dio - who allied with them, felt out of place. Even when the human members gave them brief explanations about processed products, instant noodles and artificial preservatives, they couldn't grasp the thought that the humans find it convenient.

" _Nah, who cares? I can already eat three meals a day in fastfood restaurants!"_ Elesis boasted. Ryan knew that those kinds of restaurants also served processed food which is unhealthful.

 _Is this what they call the era of tomorrow?_ He thought to himself. _What's way worse than that? One day, this thing they called technology will turn everyone into lazy asses._

"Ryan!"

Lire knocked on his door as he told her to come in.

"It's done!" she beamed as she barged inside and grabbed his wrist with both hands. "C'mon, let's eat in your dining room~"

 _Oh boy._

In the dining room, Lire set the table with table mats, a vase with a small bouquet as decoration and table napkins. She got the curry ready and the rice that Lian cooked before she left. At the center of the table, the Indian curry she made sat. She presented it like how the cookbooks and cooking shows portray it.

"That's…curry?" he stared at the dish incredulously.

The archer nodded. "Mhm. I didn't put the curry powder anymore since the recipe doesn't require it."

Ryan dug in. As soon as he popped one chunk of meat in his mouth, his face gave a shade of red.

"Well?" Lire eyed him intently.

The vanquisher forced it down his throat without screaming for water in spite of his mind doing the opposite. He felt the burning sensation in his mouth and how it made his tongue beg for mercy.

Lire then grew worried.

"Ryan?" she approached him. "W-What's wrong? Was it too much?"

He stayed silent while staring at the food. He gathered a bit of air for some composure, if he could have it.

"Lire…" he managed to speak. "May I see the recipe?"

The latter rummaged into the apron's chest pocket and fished out a small sheet of paper. She handed it to him as he skimmed through its writings.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!" he blew up, scaring Lire as she flinched from his words. Ryan soon regretted it as he read the recipe again. He put his hand on his temple.

"Cumin, cayenne pepper, coriander, a pinch of hing, turmeric and chili powder…" he read the spices out loud. "Lire, this is a massacre of spices… and you even put three spicy ones in one go."

"Eh?" the archer stared at him in shock. "But I only put half teaspoons of them."

"And how much of those hing did you put?"

"The recipe said only a pinch. But I thought I could give it some more palatability…"

 _Oh no._

He didn't know how to react. He read it from one of Lian's books of herbs and spices that hing, also known as asafetida, is a perennial herb that is native in the deserts of certain countries. It has a fetid smell that can affect the palatability of the food. It is highly advised to put only a pinch and not more than that.

"The meat is tender enough but it's the spices that caused the problem." He said.

"Really?" Lire stared at the curry she made. "Guess I'm at luck!"

 _What?_

"I made enough for the Chase!" the archer beamed. "I owe it all to Ronan for teaching me the basics and for the recipe. I should start reading cookbooks then~"

"How about you add books about herbs and spices?"

Lire nodded exultantly. "Got it."

Ryan soon felt relieved. Although he isn't fond of spicy food and anything else that would make his tongue scream, the spice effect sort-of made his cold submerge. He owed her once again. But the only thing that almost gave him a headache is that Lire didn't look like she tasted the curry she made before serving it.

* * *

Lian returned three hours later. She carried with her a basket of vegetables, frozen meat, fruits and organic herbs which she will use for her medicine. She went to the dining area to sort out her groceries when she found Lire seated alone on the chair, slowly chewing on some sort-of marinated chicken.

"Lire," the woman approached. "How is Ryan doing?"

Lire looked over her shoulder. "Ah, L-Lian! You're back."

"What are you eating?"

"Oh, umm… it's some special curry."

"Curry?" Lian looked at her incredulously as she examined the dish. "Did you put curry powder?"

The archer shook her head.

"Huh? So what did you put instead?"

As Lire mentioned the spices indicated in the recipe, Lian had to demand for it to confirm. Her eyes widened in shock.

"How much hing did you put?" she asked.

"Umm… half of the teaspoon..?"

Before the woman could respond, she heard the sound of a toilet flushing.

* * *

Thank you for reading this comeback one-shot. I'm aware that it's been forever since Wishes Upon Fallen Stars & Serdin University: Second Term was updated. I'm sorry about that. I'll do as much as I can to catch up but I can't promise that I'll make the updates soon. Please bear with the inconvenience.

The original title of this is **My Personal Nurse** as stated in one of my possibly plot bunnies in my profile.

Please review!


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